


Let Me Catch You When You Fall

by SykoShadowRose



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol Withdrawal, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Pre-Relationship, Recovery, Touch-starved Qrow, self-neglect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23557993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SykoShadowRose/pseuds/SykoShadowRose
Summary: James hasn't told Qrow he loves him, seeing him in a medi-bed from severe alcohol withdrawal makes him consider whether or not he should rectify that fact.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen&Winter Schnee, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 105





	Let Me Catch You When You Fall

Winter ran down the glyphs she’d summoned to line the halls, desperation fueling her to a full run, carrying the unconscious man to the infirmary. The clack of her heels echoed loudly, near deafening in the silence, her steps all the heavier for the precious burden she held in her arms. Panic surged when someone stepped into her path looking down at her glyphs curiously and she barked a harsh _“MOVE!”_ without slowing, not recognizing the form as Clover Ebi until after she’d run passed him with enough speed and force that she knocked him back into General Ironwood. The lieutenant kept going. She didn’t have time to slow down, let alone stop to offer even a brief apology or explanation. 

There was a thunderous sound behind her. With all her focus on making it to the medic rooms in time she didn’t recognize it as footsteps running after her until she was turning a corner and caught sight of the General and the Ace-Ops reflection in a window following her path. They must have seen what she held then. 

Ice cold dread settled in her chest as she slid hard into the door to the room she needed, the body in her arms burning uncomfortably hot, his breathing terrifyingly shallow. She swore at the collision (why was it locked shut?), briefly considered kicking it before a gloved hand shot passed her and entered the override code to force it open. Dr. Polendina jerked around in surprise, one hand lifting to rest over his heart, as she stormed in and (in direct contrast to every other movement) gently set the pale, shivering form on the medi-bed briefly resting a hand on his forehead before stepping back. 

“What is the meaning of this?” The doctor abandoned his highly confidential work to rush over, beginning to examine the fallen hunter. “Grimm attack?” As far as he knew this man hadn’t left on a mission that day but he had been working and didn’t keep track of everyone’s every movement. 

“No. I found him wandering the halls.” With him safely delivered she leaned against the nearest sturdy surface (her General, she’d be humiliated later) and panted heavily, trying to catch her breath. “I thought he was drunk like usual but he was shaking and he didn’t make any sense when he talked. He looked like he had a fever so I thought maybe he was hallucinating because of the nonsense he was rambling on about. I tried to ask him what was wrong. If he was sick but…”

 _“When has what happened to me ever mattered to you Raven?”_

She’d never heard his voice so cold, so bitter. The anger and resentment (even hatred) burning in his scarlet eyes as he looked _through_ her was usettleing at best. Winter found herself wishing that he was trying to provoke her again, like back at Beacon. That he was just trying to rile her up for fun, just before his eyes had rolled back and he’d collapsed to the floor hard. For one brief heartstopping moment, she feared he had been poisoned and had dropped dead (and she’d _never_ use that phrase against him again) right in front of her. With so many of her General’s protestors dying they had to be on guard for retribution. She shook herself from the uncomfortable memory, reminding herself that the man was still alive and would hopefully stay that way with Pietro’s help.

“He drinks a lot?” The doctor took a blood sample and placed it in the scanner, turning back to start hooking up the machines he needed to track the man’s vitals. He had an idea as to what the problem was but he needed more information to be certain. The wrong diagnosis could be just as deadly to the hunter as the illness he suffered.

“Qrow is an alcoholic, Doctor. He has been for… over a decade now.” James supplied, one hand under Winter’s elbow to keep her standing. Watching her race through the halls of his school with one of his oldest friends (that he’d been in love with in one way or another for most of their friendship) limp in her arms, red cape fluttering behind her like a bloody sign of death, had been terrifying. Honestly the physical contact was for his benefit as much as her’s at the moment. 

The Ace-Ops shuffled around behind him, knowing they should probably go to give them privacy but concerned for the man who was helping them fight the war. He allowed them to stay. If Qrow was as bad off as he seemed then he’d likely be calling on them to help him keep tabs on the wild hunter. Better for them to know what was going on from the start than try to explain it all later.

“That explains it. When did he quit?” The man’s heart was racing dangerously, his temperature was way too high. If what he’d been told was a fact then it meant the lieutenant was correct and he was likely hallucinating as well. Confusion and delirium. The list continued to grow in the doctor’s mind. He wondered how Qrow had reached this stage of withdrawal without anyone seeing the signs. The man had to be extremely self-disciplined to keep his body under control against such odds.

“What?” Winter frowned in confusion, straightening a bit but not standing on her own yet. She didn’t need the physical support anymore but emotionally… Winter may not have been what anyone would call a friend to Qrow but that didn’t mean she wasn’t concerned for him. Their “friendship” was based heavily on riling each other up and sniping at each other’s bad habits. Strange as it was it worked for them. 

“What you’re describing is a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens and it _is_ life threatening.” Dr. Polendina explained patiently while he read the results of the blood testing, confirming his theory. “When a person drinks it recalibrates their body’s systems. The heavier and longer a person drinks the more reliant the body becomes on the alcohol to maintain it’s levels. If he’s been drinking for over a decade and then suddenly stopped… Well the symptoms will be dangerous to him. The first ones usually begin within eight hours but the worst ones can take up to three days to manifest. Though I supposed a skilled hunter could use their aura to delay them even further...” He was already pulling out the medicines he’d need to counteract the symptoms and get the hunter’s levels back where they needed to be safely.

James closed his eyes, trying to remember if he’d seen Qrow pull out his flask since his arrival in Atlas. Not once that he could recall. Not even when they’d first been brought to his office (an arguably stressful event that should have had him pulling it out). Coming up blank he let out a curse. How could he have missed that? “He had to have stopped before he came here. He’s been using the delay of the symptoms to continue as if nothing was wrong. That’s likely how he was able to go on missions. He’s probably been hiding the first signs of withdrawal since he arrived in Mantel and it finally became too much for him to fight.”

Winter dropped her head against his shoulder coming to the same conclusions as he had. “We should have realized…” She was constantly criticizing him for his drinking, for being a drunkard. How had she not noticed that he had stopped? That he didn’t reek of the vile stuff? Briefly she wondered if her mother would suffer the same way should she ever gain the strength to quit. (And how had Qrow done that?)

The kind doctor paused in his work long enough to look at the group. “It will be fine now. You brought him here and that likely saved his life. Now that I know what the problem is I can treat him. I’ll let you know when he’s ready to be released. He’s going to need help recovering and someone will need to ensure he eats. Loss of appetite and vomiting are both common with withdrawal so it’s likely he hasn’t been eating and what he does eat he may not be keeping down. He’s dehydrated as well, so I’m going to have to hook up an IV but that’s something else we’ll need to keep an eye on. I’ll have a full list of instructions drawn up by the time I turn him over to your care in a few days.” Mixing sedatives with withdrawal was dangerous but he knew he’d have to use one on the hunter or the man would escape before he was safely out of danger. He would simply have to monitor the man very, very closely to ensure nothing went wrong. 

“Thank you Doctor. We’ll… leave you to do your job.” James gave one last lingering look to the prone form before leading the distraught Winter (and the grim looking Aces) out of the room and relocking it. He turned to the assembled group with a solemn expression. “Qrow will be a handful when he’s released. Anyone looking after him will have to be up to the task.” He sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “I’ll inform his team of what happened. I’m sure several of them will be willing to help look after him but they will need our help and support.” 

“And they will have it.” Winter vowed for all of them, eyes distant as she stared at the locked door. There was a murmur of agreement behind her, though she didn’t listen, too focused on what was happening in the room. Why hadn’t he told them what was happening? Did he hate Atlas so much that he would rather risk his life? Did he not trust them at all?

A heavy hand on her should brought her attention to compassionate blue eyes. “Take the rest of the day off, Winter. I’ll keep you updated on his condition as Pietro alerts me to any changes.”

She nodded vaguely, barely noticing that they were the only two left in the hall. The Ace-Ops must have already been dismissed. She turned to go but stopped after two steps, looking back at her General. “If you need _anything_ I’m available sir. Please don’t hesitate to call on me.” She hoped he knew she meant it as a friend, though she doubted he’d actually call her. For all that the man tried to be stoic, she’d figured out long ago his feelings for the former tribesman. It was one of the reasons she antagonized him so much. Winter had never been able to tell if Qrow was aware of her boss’s love for him and disregarded it or if he was clueless and that fact irritated her. She had never been able to tell if he had any feelings for the General either… 

Sighing she entered her quarters, heading to her bathroom to shower. She could break down over all the emotions trying to take over safely under the water. And hopefully wash away the feeling that she’d just abandoned her boss when he needed her most…

~

James looked over the youths filling his office, dread a heavy weight in his chest. Taking a deep breath he stood in front of his desk to address them. “I called you all here because something happened with Qrow…”

A loud scoff interrupted him, causing his blue eyes to seek the source. Yang was standing with her arms crossed, a put upon expression on her face. “Which bar was he in?”

“Yang! You don’t know that! Uncle Qrow’s been doing good since we got here, just let him finish first…” Ruby scolded her sister, though there was a note of uncertainty in her voice when faced with the look she was being given from both the blond and Weiss.

James cleared his throat before anything more could be said, drawing attention back to him. “Qrow’s currently being treated by Doctor Polendina for a life threatening form of alcohol withdrawal. Pietro intends to keep him for observation for at least three days while he tries to ensure Qrow will survive and he’ll be out of commission for several days after he’s been released.” He took in the horror on their faces (Yang and Weiss looking guilty and ashamed as well) before he continued. “We’ll be drawing up a roster for taking care of him. He’ll have certain dietary needs and he’ll need to be watched to ensure he stays stable and adheres to the instructions Pietro gives. Winter and the Ace-Ops have all signed up as has myself. I have a document here for any of you to add your names if you’d like…”

“Can we see him?” Ruby’s voice shook slightly but her eyes didn’t waver from his as she stepped forward, reaching to put her name down to care for her uncle. She’d know he would suffer some form of withdrawal but she hadn’t realized it would be so severe. This could have killed him and they wouldn’t have known he was in trouble until too late… 

“I believe he’s still being treated. Once he’s been stabilized Pietro will let me know and I’ll ask if visitors will be allowed. It’s possible only one or two will be allowed in at a time.”

“Thank you General. We appreciate all that you’re doing for him.” Ruby moved back to allow others to sign up for cartaking duty. She noticed both Yang and Weiss signed up but they hovered near the corner of the office once they were done. She stayed behind with the two of them as the rest of the hunters left, instructions to keep them updated being issued to her and to the General.

“How…” Yang cleared her throat, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “How bad… is…?” 

“High fever, hallucinations, dehydration, starvation, confusion, delirium, shaking, vomiting… He passed out just after Winter found him. If she hadn’t rushed him to Pietro for medical aid, the news I delivered would have been much worse.” James was aware that he could be much more gentle with delivering the information but part of him wanted to lash out at her for assuming the worst of the man who was literally risking his life trying to be better for them. He felt a bit vindicated when Weiss ducked her head and Yang’s shoulder’s hitched up. Though there was a thread of guilt at Ruby’s whimper. He stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. “You and I will be taking the first shift. We’ll have the best chance of ensuring he behaves for everyone else.” He offered a small soft smile to the huntress.

She gave a shaky smile back. “Right! We’ll make sure he does what he’s old. He’ll be better in no time with all of us taking care of him.”

~

Hazy scarlet eyes blinked open, trying to identify where he was. His body felt strangely heavy, like he was being held down by some unseen force. Last he remembered he’d been in his room… trying to nap? He’d been fighting off the nausea, trying to keep what little he’d managed to eat at dinner down. He thought maybe he’d laid down on his couch with the television on or maybe on his bed with the radio going… There was a soft touch to his forehead and he turned into it with a pleased hum. Voices murmured around him, the touch disappeared, drawing a whimper from him. There was silence and then the touch returned, running through his hair. He nuzzled into the petting, catching a glimpse of red and black and white. He knew those colors. They were safe. 

Ruby looked down from her spot sitting on the bed at her only uncle, running her finger soothingly through his hair as Dr. Polendina went over all the medicines he was going to have to be on for however long he was prescribed them. She’d already been given a copy of the care instructions (and read over it enough to have it memorized) but it would be another day or so before Qrow would be released. The hunter looked like he’d be curling into her like an oversized cat if the sedative still leaving his system weren’t holding him immobile. It was just as well, considering the IV he was still hooked up to. She worried he’d accidently rip it out if he moved too much.

Standing on the opposite side of the medi-bed was General Ironwood (James, he told her to call him James) looking down at her uncle with such a heartbroken, tender look that she wondered how she’d missed the signs when they first showed up in Atlas. “He’s gonna be okay. We’ll make sure of it.”

“Yes, we absolutely will.” 

“You should tell him… After we get him back on his feet. I can’t promise he feels the same but you’ll never know if you don’t try. And I think, if the worst had happened and we’d lost him, that you would have regretted not taking the chance when you could.” 

James looked into solemn silver eyes and wondered when someone so young had become so wise. She was right of course. If Winter hadn’t found him (Oh, gods if Qrow had _died in his school with him right there_ ) one of his greatest regrets would have been not telling the other of his feelings. (When they arrived at Atlas, back at Beacon before it fell, back when he first realized he was in love with the roguish male.) Under the seventeen year old’s accepting gaze, he removed the glove from his flesh hand and copied her movements. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he ran his finger through the soft silver-ebony hair, smiling a bit when his friend made an inarticulate pleased sound and arched up into the touch.

Qrow would be alright, even if he had to turn everything over to Winter for a couple weeks and personally see to it. And he was certain Ruby (and several of the other kids and ops) would be there to back him up if the hunter became too belligerent. It would be alright. He just had to keep telling himself that until he believed it.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve noticed in several fics that when something goes wrong with Qrow, Yang’s always the first one to assume he relapsed but those fics never go into what she feels when she discovers she’s wrong. (Usually he’s sick or injured or out of contact on a mission.) So I wanted to go a little bit into how she’d feel assuming the worst of her uncle only to be told the exact opposite of it. 
> 
> Mostly this was done because I wanted to explore a little bit the worst case scenario of Qrow quitting. The show doesn’t even show any consequences for him suddenly stopping but anyone who’s ever known or been related to an alcoholic knows that’s not how things work for how bad his drinking was. Given how much he seemed to drink for how long he's implied to be drinking suddenly stopping his addiction would cause all kinds of problems and delirium tremens is the most likely to affect him and it IS in fact life threatening. (Unless he is getting medical treatment for his withdrawal off-screen.) Thankfully the alcoholics in my life were never this serious so I never had to endure it but I was ready just in case.


End file.
